A Harvest Of Cookbooks Part One

 One of the best aspects of fall is that it produces harvests. There are apples and pears along with pumpkins. Yet the best bounty of all is the plethora of cookbooks   that comes with the season. There are some great ones , perfect for fall cooking and baking.

The New York Times Food section gave a very good analysis of what's coming off the presses these days. A wide range of Food contributors such as regulars Julia Moskin, Melissa Clarke  and Kim Severson along with Vaughn Vreeland, Margeaux Laskey, Alexa Weibel and even Pete Wells reviewed and recommended these  must buy cookbooks. There's books for everyone. Ina Garten fans will love her Modern Comfort Food (Clarkson Potter) has her classic recipes as tuna melts, risotto and corn muffins. Ms. Severson who reviewed the book clains it's a a bit Hamptons and not diverse. Yet' it comfort dishes from everyone 's favorite TV cook, and that's what we need right now. Another famed chef, and also a New York Times Food contributor is  Yotten Ottolenghi , has cowritten Ottolenghi Flavor (Tenspeed Press). He and his writing partner, Ixta Belfrage has such interesting dishes as coconut and turmeric omelet and sticky rice. Science also makes an appearance. Nik Sharma's The Flavor Equation (Chronicle) has interesting theories about how the interplay of  emotion, aromas, textures , visuals and even sounds affect the way we eat. There's also striking photography too.

International cooking is also seen here. Xi'an Famous Foods : The Cuisine of Western China from New York's Favorite Noodle Shop ( Brams)  is by Jessica K Chou which features the New York City's restaurants chain's most iconic dishes like biang biang noodles.Meera Sodha switches it up from her native Indian cooking to  including Chinese in her latest  cookbook East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes From Bangalore to Beijing (Flatiron Books) has everything from baos or breads stuffed with peanut butter and mushroom fillings to tamarind slathered eggplant to a tomato, pistachio and saffron tart. Indonesian cooking is represented in Coconut and Sambal: Recipes From My Indonesian Kitchen (Bloomsbury) by Lara Lee who's Australian, Chinese and Indonesian. There is beef rendang and a bright green pandang cake in her book. African and African-American cuisine is also represented in In Bibi's Kitchen :The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from Eight African Countries That Touch The Indian Ocean ( Ten speed Press) by Hawa Hassan and The Rise : Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food (Voracious) by the always great Marcus Samuelsson have such interesting vegetarian recipes from the first while Chef Samuelsson has a mix of essays and recipes from black chefs and writers. Then there are the baking themed ones. They'll be covered tomorrow.

 These cookbooks features the best of fall cooking  They'd be a great addition to any kitchen., Buy them and expand your kitchen's library

Smaller Sundays

 Sundays used to be a big deal pre-pandemic. There were after church dinners with the extended family or brunches with friends. Now that's all changed . However we can still get together  - in smaller groups - with the same good food as before. We're just not going to go as crazy cooking and baking.

Most families celebrated the Sabbath with a good old fashioned roast. This could be roast beef or London Broil for beef lovers , turkey and chicken for fans of poultry and ham for cured meat aficionadoes. Some ethnic groups like the Germans had a good pork roast while the Greeks served a whole shoulder of lamb or the entire animal if celebrating a big event like a baptism or engagement. Now we have to think of less grandiose quantities for the immediate family. The best idea is to go small.Think eye round steaks which are perfect for individual portions or a 1.5 pound roast beef. You could go up to two pounds if you want leftovers for the week.As for turkey, try a six pound one which should give a small group ample servings and then some. Chicken can also be smaller in size or you can try Cornish hens. One Cornish hen comes in at one and a quarter pounds which can feed two adults. Two are perfect for a family of four.As for ham get a half one weighing in at five to ten pounds, enough for a table of five people. As for pork and lamb, consider chops. It's the same flavor but without all the extra meat. Chops are well loved and will go quickly. With these dinners come sides. Forget the big bowls of mashed potatoes and gravy along with three or four dishes of other  veggies. Serve baked potatoes with gravy instead and maybe have one green side like string beans almondine or tomatoes Provencale.

Brunches have always been big boozy affairs on Sunday. They were always a fun way of catching up and trying other's recipes if they were pot luck themed ones. Now brunches have been scaled down considerably with maybe three - four at the most gathering at someone's house. This means smaller dishes and maybe less variety. Quiche has always been a mainstay and at times the backbone of many a weekend brunch.  Downsize the recipe with individual ones in ramekins. You can also use your muffin pan to create mini quiches in different flavors, from the original quiche Lorraine to broccoli and onion flavored. Another idea is serving individual shrimp cocktails  with jumbo shrimp. Four each should satisfy hungry guests. Have them with a crisp green salad bursting with broccoli and cauliflower along with avocado slices. Already arranged charcuterie plates are another alternative idea. Instead of everyone grabbing from one platter, have various cold cuts, from prosciutto to mortadella and salami arranged on separate plates. Add cut slices of Italian or French bread and individual ramekins of the pickled Italian salad, giadineria for color and crunch. Dessert could be cups of freshly cut fruit or cupcakes, dusted with confectioners' sugar for a more sophisticated take. Of course have the mimosas and Bloody Mary's. It still is a brunch after all.

Sunday dinners and brunches are going to be smaller now. Yet that doesn't mean skimping on delicious dishes. You can still downsize and produce a meal that's a delicious way of celebrate friends and family.

In Praise Of Good Sandwiches

 We're still working form home . Kids are still learning from home. That means quick lunches with ingredients thrown together. Yet we all deserve a decent sandwich.It's not hard.  it's just two slices of bread with a good filling inside. That's it.Anyone, even the littlest home chef can create a tasty one,

The base of any sandwich is the bread. The best kind is a thick slab of  an artisanal one. Think rye or sourdough. The inventor, John Motnagu, the fourth earl of Sandwich set the example. He wanted his  roast served between two hearty slices so he could have one hand free to play his beloved cards. Think a one inch slice with a couple of slices of meat in between. Leftovers are perfect for this. Sliced chicken or turkey is perfect for this as is leftover London Broil. Make sure that these are sliced thickly too (thinner for the little ones so it's more manageable). Cold cuts are also tasty but just make sure they're of the best quality. Many groceries are still slicing  while others have the meats already sliced and packaged for purchasing. What makes for the best sandwich filling? That's up to you however the brand you choose will make a world of taste difference. Boar's Head is about the best flavorwise .It tastes like fresh from the deli. Their ham is perfect, especially since it's sliced wafer thin. Italian cold cuts are also a treat, especially on sliced Italian or French breads. Try them together for a true burst of flavor. Prosciutto and mortadella are sheer heaven together. Prosciutto and salami are also a great combo, especially on chewy Italian bread.

 You can also create a delicious filling if you're on a creative bent. Chicken or tuna salad is a nice change of pace and you  can have fun varying the recipes.Add some chopped tarragon to the chicken while tuna can get some freshly ground peppercorns for bite. Ham and roast beef can also be turned into salads thanks to chopping them in a food processor and then mixing with mayo. Ham salad can be spiked with mustard or celery seeds while a roast beef salad can benefit from a little crushed garlic and onion powder.  All these salads can be served on toast but also artesenal bread would work well. For real luxury try lobster or shrimp salad. You can also create a crab salad which would be good on buttery brioche. Leave out any seasonings on the seafood. Just enjoy their rich briny flavor and maybe a little chopped celery added in. Vegans and vegetarians can also have tasty fillings. There's a variety of different soy cold cuts that taste like smoked turkey and bologna. These can be slathered with Nayonnaise, the eggless mayonnaise which tastes exactly like the real thing. Of course nothing beats a tomato and Nayonnaise sandwich, You can add Morningstar Farm's soy bacon along with some arugula for a lush BLT too.Sliced tomatoes also work with sliced cucumber and red lettuce too. Sliced avocados on toast are another good lunch idea, especially when they're with onions and sliced Roma tomatoes.

Creating a good sandwich is easy. It just takes, bread, a filling and some creativity. It makes for a satisfying and filling lunch .

The Fall Baking Season

 Now that cooler weather is here, it's time to think about fall baking,. Many of us have been baked out , thanks to the pandemic and the quest for the perfect sourdough. Yet baking is much more than that. It's trying well loved recipes and putting new spins on old ones. It's a whole bake shop of different ideas.

Of course apples are big right now.Everyone is baking pies however apples can be used in a variety of other recipes too. A fun variation are apple dumplings. These are basically apples en croute with a cinnamon laced dough wrapped around them.  They're good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. An apple galette is another delicious baked treat. Many home bakers balk at creating a fruit galette, thinking it's a fancy tart but it's really a free form pie. An apple galette is the perfect autumn dessert that can end a fancy meal or just a simple one. Apples can also go healthy with being a vital ingredient in muffins. They 're just sliced and grated into the other ingredients. Fall is also pear season. This elegant fruit can be the main ingredient of a tarte tatin, a buttery crusted pie with a caramelized interior. A tasty appetizer is a pear and Brie cheese baked en croute. This is a savory and sweet dish that has a Brie or Camenbert baked with spicy pear compote.

Spices play a big part in autumn baking. Everybody loves a kitchen redolent with the aromas of allspice , cinnamon , ginger and nutmeg .  These can be used together or separately in a variety of different baked goods. Together they create the ubiquitous pumpkin pie spice which is all over right now. Use them for what they were originally used for  - pumpkin pie. It's still a great way to end a meal whether  it's a Thanksgiving feast or just a Sunday dinner. The recipe can be varied. Home bakers can try their hand at pumpkin pie tartlets or turn the filling into a pudding and then fill in an already made crust.  Another spicy treat is a spice cake. Think of a double layered one with a cream cheese frosting (sort of like a carrot cake but without the carrots and raisins). This can easily be turned into a batch of cupcakes too, as a fun treat for a fall backyard barbecue. Cinnamon is another fall spice that's versatile in baking. A cinnamon cake is a nice alternative to a vanilla one and it can be served without icing or just with a simple dusting of confectioner's sugar. Cinnamon bread and rolls take the chill out of a cool morning and are an easy bake the whole family can participate in. Ginger and nutmeg are perfect in gingerbread along with clove and allspice. Add some cocoa powder to truly elevate this classic recipe as NIgella Lawson did with her gingerbread cake recipe.

Celebrate the fall baking season with a buttery apple stuffed galette or spice cupcakes topped with a blog of cream cheese frosting. It's the season to create delicious pies, cakes breads cupcakes, and cookies. Have fun and be creative , as you welcome the cool weather with fresh from the oven treats.

The Lesser Spices

 Let's face it. oregano , rosemary and garlic are the spice stars of any kitchen, whether residential or commercial. They sparkle and shine in sauces and rubs, marinades and vinaigrettes. Yet there are lesser known and used spices that can give oomph to any savory or sweet dish. It's time to get to know them.

Fenugreek is one of those lesser known seasonings. Only a few professional chefs have used it in various sauces and side dishes. Mention it to a home chef and you might be met with a "Huh?". Fenugreek is an herb similar to clover and found mostly in the Mediterranean  region along in South Asia and  southern Europe. The seeds are the part of the flower that's primarily used and the flavor is similar to maple syrup. The Indians eat the fenugreek leaves as a vegetable, It's best in Indian cooking gracing such dishes as aloo methi, a traditional Indian potato curry and methi dal, a dal that also uses the leaves as does the first dish. It's also one of the ingredients in Berbere spice rub which gives the mix a certain sweetness. Caraway is another spice that many home chefs don't know or rarely use. Yet it's a part of everyone's favorite bread - rye. The seeds have been gracing the tasty loaf for centuries. It's used also in biscuits, cakes, stews meat dishes sauerkraut and pickles. Caraway is even used in cheeses. Sprinkle a teaspoon in any stew for more flavor or over a pork roast. Definitely think of it when you're baking bread and want a nice topping.

Cardamon is another spice that's sadly underused in the home kitchen.It has a piny flavor , sort of like rosemary.It's grown in tropical areas like India and Malaysia along with Costa Rica. It's used to flavor basmati rice and curries. It's also a spice that works well with chicken, whether as a rub or as a sweet and savory curry sauce. Use this spice in baking too, Cardamon shortbread cookies are a nice addition to any Christmas cookie table. A flourless chocolate cake laced with it is always a delicious end to a dinner. Coriander is another spice that's only used during pumpkin spice season.It's one of the many spices that gives pumpkin pie and its' offshoots that tangy, sweet taste. It's grown in India and Indonesia and features strongly in both cuisines. It's also used in Mexican, namely in chiles, where it add some sweet zing.Coriander is  a big ingredient in Spanish and Latin recipes as well being part of rubs, sauces and soups. Try a coriander-cumin rub for your pork chops. This is a mix of the spices with hot chili powder, allspice and paprika. Allspice is another under rated spice.It can be found in the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico and Central America. It can be used in flavoring everything from Swedish meatballs to Jamaican jerk chicken.It also works well in spice cakes and cookies, perfect for fall baking. Think a spice cake with cream cheese frosting or streusel muffins, spiked with it.

These are just some of the lesser known spices. However they add big flavor to everything from stew to cakes. Try  them for a different spin on spicy cooking and baking.

The Bagel Lady

 There's nothing like New York bagels. They're a combination of chewiness and taste, sweet and savory. Many get the bagel bug , wanting to recreate this  in such far from Manhattan as possible places. Yet how can they, without the the right recipe and advice? Enter Beth George - the Bagel Lady. She has helped several bagel shops around the world get started, and helped make this quintessential NY delight global.

Alan Neuhauser,a freelance contributor wrote this interesting piece about Ms. George and her business partner, Frank Mauro , in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ms. George who is officially a lawyer started out in the bagel industry in 2013. It began as simply a hobby and also for her son who had a sensitivity to gluten. She created all sorts of spelt breads, that became popular with family and friends. Soon she was selling them to Whole Foods after starting her bread company , Spelt Right. She needed equipment to help with the high demand so she got in touch with Mr. Mauro, head of regional sales at Excalibur Bagel and Bread Equipment. He was skeptical. Spelt dough can be temperamental. It can be too gooey or dry for the contraption known as "the bagel machine". This is a Rube Goldberg like type with a rotating metal cog and a gliding conveyor belt. He told her it wasn't going to work with her recipe but she could give it a try. She drive from her place in Maine where she was at the time to Paramus ,New Jersey to see for herself. That night she had the machine on the back of her pick up truck. Her company went bust thanks to the spike in spelt prices but Ms. George and Mr. Mauro remained connected. He realized he needed someone to show new bagel machine. That person was Ms. George who is now in Nearby Fair Lawn, new Jersey.

Ms. George has helped bagel shop owners as far as as India and Australia. She offered valuable advice to Spurthy Akshar, a young lawyer from Bangalore who wanted to open a New York type bagel shop in her town. She will put her own twist on it by offering spreads made from paneers and local vegetables. Then there are Eddy Tice and his partner, Ania Kutek who own NYC Bagel Deli in Brisbane. They , too, had lessons with Ms, George but unfortunately their landlord forced them to open shop earlier than expected in the new food hall where they were located.The staff hadn't been trained enough which meant burned bagels sticking to the machine. Luckily that's all turned around four years later with a new cafe called Superthing. Bagel love also hit the streets of Paris, where, despite all their expertise with such intricate breads like croissants and brioches, , French bakers flopped at bagel making. Again Ms. George came to the rescue, flying to the City of Light to help. Bagel making classes last four days and are eight hours each day.  Students learn how a handful of dough stretched into a thin unbroken windowpane can reveal if it's oven ready and how barley malt brushed on bagel tops can turn them into golden rings once baked. She does talk to students about the cost of opening up a shop  as well. It isn't cheap, starting at $225,000. Usually most people go in as partners, whether husband or wife or friends .

New York style bagels are becoming a global staple thanks to Ms. George. She is invaluable to those wanting to learn how to make this classic roll. It's not easy but she can show how to make it as simple as a toasted bagel with a schmear of cream cheese.

Comforting Dishes From The Times Pantry

 Comfort food is going to be big this season. We're going to need dishes that soothe and help our troubled souls and minds. Luckily the New York Times has gathered some of the best recipes from  From The Pantry, a series of recipes that helped home chefs during the pandemic. Sadly, it's ending its' run soon yet home chefs can enjoy the many recipes it still offers.

Melissa Clark curated these in today's New York Times food section. She offers the highlights of it and what the recipes can do.  They're confident and flexible along with being versatile to stretch to two or even three meals.They represent the best of pantry cooking, which done right can help you adapt your favorite recipes to what's in the pantry. Ms. Clark also shows how to get past all those panic bought beans and boxes of pasta and create comforting meals for the entire family to enjoy. She starts with the recipe for baked polenta. This is the perfect dish for fall and for a weekend supper. It starts with corn kernels,whether canned, frozen or right off the cob sizzled in a pan with butter. Polenta grains are added. Then throw in anything you want, Alliums like shallots or scalions, greens, like kale . You could add some cheese like feta ,blue or Parmesan. She suggests my favorite, adding eggs along with a lot of freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Another pantry dish is the famed Irish dish colcannon. She up the flavor with crispy fried leeks and add some sliced garlic cloves. Cabbage or kale is traditional but you can use broccoli rabe too. Add milk or vegetable broth and lots of butter for a truly creamy taste.

Comfort meals got us and are still getting us through this pandemic. There are recipes for tuna casserole and roasted chicken. Ms. Clark's take on the tuna casserole?  Zing it up with garlic and white wine! There's also a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. You can use tuna in water but use the one in olive oil for a richer flavor.It'll be mashed into white beans , giving the dish a chunky texture. It's topped with Gruyere, according to the original recipe by Diana Henry, a British based food writer. her recipe was a Breton  tuna and white bean gratin. Ms. Clark gives it an American spin by adding potato chips to the topping. Roasted chicken is another dish that's not only comforting but versatile too. The bones can be used for stock while leftovers can be turned into chicken salad for lunchtime sandwiches. The stock though is the best. It's just taking the bones, and  cooking them with aromatics such as ginger or onions , carrots or herb stems. Cover with cold water and simmer for two to three hours. How does she end these meals? With a comforting dessert, the classic chocolate cake made with mayo! This is a rich cake anyway, made with Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips. The liquid used is hot coffee although you can use tea too. Vanilla can be used but so can bourbon or brandy if you don't have the first. Ms. Clark recommends just dusting it with confectioner's sugar although you can add a cream cheese frosting or chocolate glaze for more decadence.

There's nothing like comfort food,especially during these crazy times. Make what you want. Then enjoy these good for the soul, good for the mind dishes.

Eating Out Under An Autumn Sky

Autumn is officially here and with it comes cool days and chilly nights. We can still take advantage of our back yard, night or day with eating out. It can be elegant.It can be fun. It's up to you.

A cozy evening for two or with the kids could consist of eating around the fire pit. Everyone seems to have one these days and it makes for a lovely night despite falling temps.An easy supper under the stars is a charcuterie platter, complete with veggies and fruit. What is great about charcuterie is that there are no set rules about what to serve. The variety is usually a pate alongside salame, mortadella, prosciutto and speck, an uncured, smoked piece of pork, You could put out beef tartare if you want or bresaola, a dried salted beef from Italy. A luxe one would be jamon, Spanish ham, sliced wafer thin. Charcuterie boards also demand cheese so have wedges of Brie or Gruyere. A sharp Vermont cheddar would be the perfect fall choice as well. Make sure you have a sliced baguette too, already sliced. You could add a crusty artesenal rye or sourdough one too. Small bowls of olives , grapes, and peppers would round it out as well as bowls of herbed olive oil for dipping. As for drinking, a hot mulled wine could be a great option, You could also go with Zinfandels or  Sirahs too. Finish with brandied coffee , a fruit galette and a blanket to snuggle into  to watch the stars.

Of course it's not time to put away the grill. An autumn barbecue is just as fun as the ones you had in the summer. In fact make it like the tailgate parties of years past since we can't go to the stadiums this year. If you ate beef burgers for the past three months, then switch it up. Lamb is very flavorful. Add some fresh mint , parsley and garlic along with cumin, paprika and oregano for a Greek spin. 

Serve with Greek yogurt.  Beyond Meat is another choice  as is Gardein's Ultimate Beefless Burger. They deliver the same juiciness and flavor as the real thing. Instead of hamburger buns, think artesanal bread instead. You can also go full tailgate with brats and hot dogs too. Think of splitting them and filling them with cheddar or Swiss.  As for sides, a black bean and corn salad is a different idea after months of macaroni  salad and cold slaw. You could also make a simple but delicious beet salad. Bathe sliced beets in a classic vinaigrette seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Another fun side are bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers. This is first splitting the peppers in half and then stuffing them with a spicy cream cheese mix. Bacon is then wrapped around them and fastened  into place with toothpicks. Dessert could be s'mores made with different chocolates, white ,  milk and dark or just old fashioned brownies with mugs of hot coffee and tea.

There's nothing like eating outside and you can still do it. Enjoy a beautiful night sky with a good charcuterie platter or a warm fall day with an at home tail gate meal. It's just a nice way to enjoy the change of weather with good food and good drink.

The Savory Side of Honey

 We'reused to using honey as a sweet ingredient. We put it in teas , breads and a variety of different desserts. Yet it can also be used in savory dishes too for a different spin. Using it gives a more mellow flavor to savory dishes.

Many home chefs will first  ask what's the better choice of honey - white or brown? From a nutritional point of view white, light or golden honey has more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Darker honey has a richer flavor which imparts an earthy sweetness on dishes. I use Carmel Honey's Company's dark Wildflower in both my tomato sauce and chili (yes!!). I like the depth it adds to both, especially the sauce. It gets rid of that tomato-y tang and mellows out the other ingredients, softening the sharp flavors of the garlic and other spices. It's usually a heaping tablespoon which should do it. If not then an extra teaspoon should do it both the sauce  and chili. Dark or light honey is also a great add in to different viniagrettes. It balances out the vinegar and adds a sweet earthiness. One great recipe is mixing light honey with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Add salt  and pepper along with a mix of orange zest and fresh orange juice for a tasty dressing for  grilled chicken salad. The dressing gives the salad a Mandarin chicken kind of vibe. Add some fresh ginger for zing and sesame seeds for more flavor.

Honey and chicken pair well together. A fun weekday dinner idea is honey garlic chicken. It's a perfect meld of sweet and savory,Vinegar and soy sauce give the recipe that zing while light honey balances it out. To really spice it up add some sriracha sauce to it for some fire. Honey also works well as a glaze for both chicken and Cornish hens. One recipe involves  frozen orange  concentrate, lemon juice, garlic and thyme mixed with the sweet. There's also onion powder and soy sauce mixed in.It's an easy cook being boiled together in a microwave for two to three minutes (it may take longer depending on your microwave). Keep in mind that honey burns all too quickly and when you're oven roasting a chicken or game hens , baste with the honey glaze after about forty-five minutes in the oven. If the skin is burning but the meat is still raw, tent the chicken with aluminum foil to prevent burning. This will also keep cooking the chicken or Cornish hens. Of course there's nothing like honey glazed ham.It's usually pared with brown sugar for a sweet , crunchy covering that works well with the ham's saltiness.Honey also works with pork too, especially if it's paired with garlic and soy. it gives a crispness to chops and shoulders while still sealing in the juiciness.

Definitely use honey in your savory dishes. Its' sweetness gives mellowness to sauces while providing flavor to pork and chicken. Make it a part of your cooking for more variety.

Le Bouchon A Hidden Gem Along The Hudson

 Cold Spring New York is one of those idyllic towns with beautiful views of the Hudson River and a thriving riverfront town. It's quaint and picturesque, being only an hour north of New York City.There are some good restaurants there including Le Bouchon,a phenomenal Alsatian French bistro with a lovely outdoor garden.

The quaintness alone can draw anyone into this eatery that even has spaetzles, baked into a chic mac and cheese and a dish of duck confit. The restaurant is located at 76 Main Street,at the corner of Main and Fair Streets. It's on the first floor of  a charming early 19th Century building with a cheery red interior and ample back garden complete with a fountain and brick patio.

Despite its' meagerness , the menu has a wide range of different Alsatian  and American inspired dishes along with craft beers and wines.

I started with their Alsatian onion soup which had a good amount of Gruyere cheese and flavorful onion broth. The onions were plentiful and melt in your mouth tender.

I had to have the charcuterie plate which was a generous mix of mortadella ,prosciutto, salame and an in house pate. This last was interesting. It kind of had a beefy liverwurst quality to it (I didn't ask what it was made from, however). There was also a generous helping of cornichons, those cute but tart little pickles and a small cup of mustard..

Of course I had to have dessert,knowing that French restaurants  always have the best choices. I chose their flaky apple tart with vanilla ice cream.

This was a wonderful confection of sliced apples baked in a choux pastry and served with different berries and vanilla ice cream. The apples and ice cream were perfect together (I suspect that Le Bouchon makes the ice cream ) and the pastry was just buttery and tender. C'est parfait, especially with the accompanying blueberries and blackberries.

Le Bouchon is worth the trip alone to beautiful, picturesque Cold Spring, New York. It is a quaint eatery serving Alsatian food with an American twist. Head up there this fall for a lovely dinner , reminiscent of Northeastern France.

Sustainable Eating

 Climate change is on everyone's mind, thanks to the massive hurricanes in the South and the horrible forest fires out west. One of the ways is sustainable cooking. Home chefs can do their part  thanks to a new cookbook that shows them how. Saving the planet can be delicious and relatively easy.

Think Eat Cook Sustainably, 100 Recipes plus Tips and Ideas For A Healthy World  (2019 Rachel Khanna) was written by Rachel Khanna, creator of the organic catering company Tiffin,. She is also author of Live Eat Cook Healthy : Simple Fresh and Delicious Recipes For Balanced Living wrote this informative cookbook to not only open our eyes to sustainable food shopping and cooking but also our impact on the world.  The first chapters explain how we can shop and cook responsibly.It is an eye opener with a push on eating more vegetables and leaner meats. She lays out her sustainable plan with Key Principles. Home chefs should know where their food comes from and who grows it. Ms. Khanna also urges to purchase as many products as possible from local farms or vendors along with cutting down on waste and become conscious of what we eat.Ms. Khanna also lays out the groundwork for a new eating paradigm. It's a healthy way of eating. Consume lots and lots of fruits and vegetables.You can eat meat and their are recipes for it. She recommends healthy sources of protein such as grass fed meats,eggs and dairy products.Also opt for legumes and whole grains  along with buying foods with expiration dates. There are some good nuggets of advice too, like shopping on a grocery's perimeter where the freshest foods are  and minimizing purchasing frozen and packaged foods.She addresses superfoods, meat alternatives and the juice controversy (she is definitely nay)

The recipes are good for you and good tasting. Ms. Khanna divides the book into such simple chapters as breakfast and brunch , soups, salads, entrees, sides and desserts. I like this book and the recipes are what I would create. Breakfasts can be beginner's bread which can be dotted with olives, cranberries or walnuts or a congee , a porridge of brown rice and quince or prunes. I love the different tarts that would be perfect for brunch along with the Gruyere and garlic scones. I love her soup recipes. The butternut squash and ginger soup is a fall must cook. Home chefs will  love making the curried cauliflower and sunchoke or Jerusalem artichokes along with the creamy, garlic infused leek and sunchoke one. Salads are great too, There's the interesting purslane salad with halloumi cheese, a Cypriot goat's milk based cheese. Try the pea shoot, watercress and endive salad with Roquefort The entrees and the sides are just as healthy too. A  nutritious dinner could consist of her roasted halibut with shallot and saffron sauce  and a side of sauteed lima beans , kale, carrots and turnips. Ms. Khanna also celebrates her husband's'  and daughters' Indian heritage too with kicheree, a stew made with mung beans and potatoes along with mattar- gaajar , a pea and carrot mix, spiced with curries. I love her grain bowls how to, with a variety of different ingredients starting with the grain base and ending with the different vinaigrettes. Dessert lovers will appreciate her pound cake recipe with its' many variations and her  mother's Swiss chocolate almond cookies.

Think Eat Cook Sustainably 100 Recipes Plus Tips & Ideas For A Healthy World is the perfect cookbook for those who want to cook and eat sustainably. It's full of delicious recipes that can help with making the world a better place. It's eating better and feeling better about what's in the kitchen and on the table.

Summer's Last Bounty

 There are still harvests to be found, relics of a summer garden.Green beans and peppers can still be fashioned into tasty recipes. Figs can be turned into a delicious dessert. We can still hold on to the season, thanks to some interesting spins on classic dishes.

David Tanis wrote  about doing such in his column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Gardens and groceries are still yielding up sometimes copious bounties that are perfect for an early fall table.The flavors from this fresh picked are brighter and more flavorful, resulting in a more delicious dish. He starts with the recipe for roasted peppers with capers , olives and anchovies. The peppers are sweet on their own but something salty added, like those three ingredients will amp up the sweetness. Mr. Tanis recommends using Corno or red bell peppers along with anchovy fillets, capers and olives although I would have just stuck with the anchovies (this and the peppers creates the great Piedmontese dish pepe e anciugi). The peppers are first roasted .They're then marinated in a garlicky vinaigrette and served with the fish, olives and capers. The main dish is lamb chops  with seasonal veggies.It's accompanied by a stew of green beans, corn , zucchini and summer squash. Again Mr. Tanis marinates here , the chops are seasoned with garlic, rosemary and sage.They're then fried and served with the vegetable stew which has been flavored with onions.

These recipes remind me of a Northern Italian meal my  Mom and cousins have made over the years. Mr. Tanis reinforces that vibe with the bonus of a polenta recipe. This can be a side or made the star , served with a side of the veggie stew. His polenta is baked with ricotta and Parmesan cheese along with olive oil. This is perfect for cheese lovers because the ricotta will still be in big blobs once cooked, perfect for mashing into the polenta.It's baked until brown and garnished with a good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.  You could just make this with sausages too, for an easy weekend supper. To finish off the meal, Mr. Tanis again goes with an Italian classic. It's a creamy panna cotta - cooked cream with figs and berries. The panna cotta has a light nutty flavor thanks to the addition of almond flavoring. The fig compote that pairs with it has  stove top roasted figs, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. These have been roasted for forty minutes with Calvados brandy or kirsch. (this depends on your taste) They and the roasting juices are placed around the panna cotta and all of it can be served in a wine glass or ramekin.

Take advantage of the last of the summer harvests with these great recipes. They'll remind you of a dinner in Northern Italy, when the temps dip and fall is in the air. It's a perfect way to welcome in a new season.

Tacos Go Vegan

 The pandemic has hit the food industry, none more so than Mexican restaurants and food trucks. Yet it also has created a new kind of cuisine - vegan tacos. Chefs are using veggies when beef isn't available or is too expensive. The result - a tasty new idea that's quickly catching on.

Regular contributor and chef, Tejal Rao wrote about this phenomenon in today's New York Times Food section. Meat has had a dicey reputation in the last six months. Beef packaging plants have been breeding grounds for the virus along with the price of beef going up. Most restaurants had to change or rewrite their menus when beef prices tripled from three dollars to nine dollars a pound. Street vendors have it even worse, without the protection of a brick and mortar base. yet they can travel and have always catered to outdoor eating as well as to food trends, Some, such as chefs as Alex Garcia and Elvia Huerta of Evil Cooks ,went for a pork filled one call al pastor, popular in the Yucatan where it originated. It starts with pork rubbed with a mix of burnt tortillas and cacao. The two have also tried it on soy. Now many chefs are turning to veggies which is nothing new. Indigenous peoples have been making tacos with veggies and even fruits and flowers for flavor for centuries. It was the Spanish colonists who introduced pork into the cuisine.

Vegan tacos have been part of the Los Angeles scene for the last decade. Plant Food For People started selling jackfruit carnitas for the past ten years. Jackfruit is a wonderful fruit when it's cooked. It can be soaked in different marinades and juices and rubbed with a paste of achiote seeds and chiles. The flesh is soft and shredded but fries up into bacon like crisps as if they've been roasted on a spit. Diners prefer it to meat thanks to it' flavor and crunch.Vegan taco stands are also in the more gentrified sections of LA thanks to ones like Vegatinos which also produces such meatless classics as taco suaderos or beef from the shoulder bone and chicharrin , fried pork bellies along with pozole -pork shoulder and birria goat meat stew. Now they're opening up a second vegan one in the San Fernando Valley. Flowers are also being used as fillings too. Former Nordstrom make up consultant ,  and pop up restaurant owner Stephanie Villegas is using hibiscus which can soak up flavors like a sponge when it's rehydrated. She also has thinly shaved seitan too as a filling along with potato ones with a smoky matcha salsa. Her eatery, Alchemy Organics also sells vegan taco kits that has fried and marinated seitan along with veggies , salsa and A Kernel of Truth tortillas.

Vegan tacos are an old treat that's gaining new popularity. They're a great stand in to beef , thanks to  versatile chefs and ingredients. Veggie filled taco will be here long after the pandemic has left.

The Fall Pantry In A Pandemic

 It's time to start thinking of refilling the pantry now that fall is fast approaching. It'll be different, thanks to the pandemic which means  a different way of stocking up. what should be bought in bulk and what should be bought sparingly? What will give us hearty and delicious dishes in the upcoming months?

Apple season and fall go together perfectly so stock up on them. If you're lucky some farms in your area are open for limited picking. Take advantage of this because apples can keep for a relatively long time compared to other fruit. A basket or two is perfect and can keep well in a cool pantry, basement or even root cellar.If you can't make it to a farm, your local grocery store has a wide variety to choose from. Try Cortlands or Galas. Of course you can make pies with them, but also consider making something a bit long lasting like homemade apple sauce. This will go great with such cold weather dishes as pork chops or roast. The fruit can also be used in making apple butter and a variety of baked goods such as muffins. Canned fruit is another must have. Think peaches or pears which make great snacks or desserts on their own. Canned veggies are a must since they're versatile and can keep for long periods of time. Try to stock up on such essentials as canned potatoes - perfect for potato salads or soup, green beans  - again great as a summery salad or as a side  cooked almondine with almond slivers. Kids will love canned corn so consider buying a few cans of those . It is versatile too, being added to corn muffins or fritters or to chowders to add color and flavor. 

Every fall pantry needs beans - and plenty of them. They're a great source of protein and can be put into a variety of different dishes. Since chili will be prevalent for the cooler days, stock up on the kidney and pinto ones. Black beans are another must stock. Combine them with rice and spices for a nice side to roast or barbecued chicken. Chickpeas are another bean that should be bought a few can at a time. They have a dual purpose. Use the beans for everything from the Indian stew choley to homemade hummus and save the aquafaba or bean liquid for vegan meringues and mousses. Bean flour among other flours are another good pantry buy. Make sure you have plenty of white or gluten free too along or almond and coconut flour  if you're eating more healthfully. We may be baking a bit more again so stock up on yeast too. There has been a shortage in the past and there may be one again if everyone uses the cooler weather to bake bread.Sugar and confectioner's sugar will keep so again get the larger containers. There may not be school bake sales but there may be at home Halloween parties where cupcakes and cookies will be required.Take stock of the spices you have as well. You may need to buy a new bottle of cinnamon and nutmeg for baking and cooking.

it's time to stock your fall pantry. It'll be a bit difficult because of the pandemic but it can be done. Buy what is needed the most and your pantry be fine.

Sides That Stand Out

 Meals can become a little more elaborate and heartier now that the cool weather is here. It starts with tasty sides that pop and make the main dish sing. There's a lot to try , form the simple to the elaborate.

Rice is one of the best sides. It's an easy cook that goes with any kind of meat, from beef to poultry to fish. You can just boil it in water but try cooking it in either beef, chicken or vegetable broth to amp it up flavor wise. Veggies can be added for more pizzazz. Think scallions or onions if you want a stronger taste. Carrots and peas make for a more delicate one. An easy side is cooking brown rice in chicken broth and adding chopped scallions. Finish with three or four tablespoons of soy sauce. This is a wonderful accompaniment to orange or lemon chicken or ginger glazed pork. Rice with almonds and mushrooms is another stand out side that's perfect with turkey or Cornish game hens. Noodles have always been a home chef's side go to. Egg noodles with just melted butter are perfect for every kind of comfort dish from meat loaf to stew. Zing them up a bit with some freshly milled parsley or ground pepper. Spaetzles, those delicious Swabian noodles , are also a perfect foil for pork dishes. Mix them with sauerkraut for a tart , eye opening spoonful or combine with green beans and butter for something milder yet just as flavorful. This last is perfect with roasted chicken while the first is perfect with any German sausage from bratwurst to curry wurst.

Veggies have long played second fiddle to main dishes. Yet they can be just as tasty and can even outshine them. Potatoes are the perfect side. They can be made into a variety of different dishes.Of course, many choose the mashed version and why not? The fluffy mounds can hold puddles of gravy or melted butter. Yet the plain version can be a tad bland at times.Give them some oomph with mashed garlic or ginger thrown in. Keep the skins on or sub in whole cream for milk when mashing. Scalloped potatoes are an elegant side , sure to impress the family. It's mandolined potatoes baked with cream and onions along with garlic, baked for forty five minutes in usually a nine by thirteen casserole dish. Brussels sprouts have always had a bad wrap yet are a lovely and sophisticated side. The best way is steamed and then drizzled with melted butter or margarine and sprinkled with Parmesan. Yet roasted ones are also good. They can be sheet pan roasted with the main meal, drizzled with only olive oil and seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Brussels sprouts  can also be sauteed too. Carrots are a bright addition to any plate. Many feel that carrots have to be glazed with honey or maple syrup to accentuate their sweetness. Go the opposite way and flavor them with garlic and olive oil. Try them with a butter basil sauce for a different spin.

Make sides stand out. They can be a simple veggie infused rice dish or an elaborate potato one.  Just make them as tasty and outstanding as the main dish.

The Perfect Cookbook For Young Home Chefs

 Home schooling kids right now is not fun. Yet imagine a fun and tasty way to do so. A new cookbook has come out and it makes not only kitchen work a learning experience but also a fun intro to home cooking  and baking. It's a great way to bring out the home chef in your kinds.

The book is Kitchen Explorers :60 + Recipes, Experiments And Games For Young Chefs (American's Test Kitchen 2020) and written by the chefs and writers at the great PBS show, America's Test Kitchen. Like the show it's filled with informative facts about all different aspects of cooking and baking. This is primarily a tween book, perfect for ten to thirteen year olds but younger kids with an interest in cooking will also enjoy it. As with their other cookbooks, America's Test Kitchen has a section on cooking terms defined. There is also a page on defining terms associated with experimentation.This is not a traditional recipe book with chapters on breakfasts and lunches . Rather , it has  the first chapter on a variety of  diverse kid friendly recipes plus make it your way challenges. The second chapter is devoted to science experiments and the third has a wide variety of puzzles and games, that not only expand a child's knowledge of food but also their vocabulary as well. It really is a fun book,Kids can learn how to make their own sea salt (!) just by combining kosher salt and plain water. There's a taste and smell test involving Jelly Belly jelly beans along with an experiment involving butter and water. The games are neat too.Kids can design their idea of a food truck or their perfect meal. There are quizzes about fruits and vegetables and foods' origins as well as a foodie version of "I Spy".

Are the recipes hard? No, and they can be made easy with adult supervision. There are such after school classics as peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips and giant chocolate chip cookies.Kids will love the amped up version of Rice Krispie Treats (along with the history of both the cereal and the treats themselves) that include chocolate chips and broken graham crackers. For a fancier snack there is the pesto flatbread pizza that introduces kids to such diverse foods as pesto and naan bread. Traditional recipes such as meatballs and sauce are also included for young chefs to make for a hearty dinner.Even more fun is the one for bean and cheese quesadillas that only require four ingredients. A plus is that the recipe includes a rhyming game involving  the ingredients. These dishes can be topped off with the fudgy mug cake for dessert. This is a take on the commercial mixes and it's rich in chocolate thanks to the addition of chocolate chips and cocoa. A side bar has kids writing down their observations about the cakes and how they went from liquid to solid in no time. Kids can also appreciate the recipe for old fashioned blueberry muffins that teaches them about traditional baking. There are also fun snack recipes for buttered popcorn, yogurt parfaits and smoothies. Young home chefs can also make their own no bake energy bites and wash it down with the recipe for flavored seltzers.

Kitchen Explorers : 60 + Recipes, Experiments, And Games For Young Chefs is the perfect book for kids learning from home these days. It teaches kids not only how to cook but about science and geography. It's the perfect tool not only young home chefs but students too.

Inclusion All Year Round

 Today we remember those who were lost nineteen years ago. We came together as a country. There was a sense of unity and fidelity to our country and neighbors. We are apart now, thanks to beliefs , prejudices and Covid 19. Yet there are ways of coming together and standing as one. That involves one of our  most basic needs - cooking and nourishing each other,

We can still cook and bake for each other despite social distancing . Isolated neighbors will appreciate a loaf of homemade bread or a casserole. It's even easy to create a meal box , full of ingredients and instructions and leave it on a neighbor's doorstep. You could add fresh produce from your garden along with spices and extras. Keep it simple. A jar of homemade sauce and a box of any kind of pasta is simple enough to make and reheat but nutritious and filling for a lunch or dinner. You could also include the ingredients for a tasty hero, with cold cuts and cheeses along with a small container of dressing. Have a dessert of some fruit , whether an apple or pear. You could also include a baggie of grapes or cherries too. For fun, add a small jigsaw puzzle , puzzle books and magazines. If the person is celebrating a birthday, find out their favorite meal and make that. Include a small cake or cupcakes along with a small gift.

Inclusion also means bringing kids together despite the social distancing. There can still be get togethers but  on Zoom . Parents can get together and create the same dinner that everyone can share on this modern meeting medium. A truly inclusive idea is having Thursdays or one day of the weekend saved for different recipes from different groups. It could be a Nigerian beef and spaghetti stew or chicken with plantains. It's a great way of expanding family palates as well as the family cookbook. Cooking other classmates' family recipes brings new spices and flavors to the kitchen pantry. Parents can also write down their recipes in a class cookbook that can be published on Nook or Kindle. How to photographs  can be included too to show how a dish is made. Stories of everyone's ancestry and homeland can also accompany the recipes. Of course there could be virtual lunches too with everyone enjoying a shared peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a tomato soup in their individual houses. 

We need to be more inclusive despite our distancing. If we can honor the ones we lost, and our country, let's try to be more unified. It can easily be done through cooking and baking for each other.

Savory Sweet Dishes For The New Year

 Rosh Hashanah will be here in another week and it's time to think about dishes. Any holiday , this year, will be weighted. It has been a bad year so far. What can we do to sweeten the new one. The answer comes in the form of recipes that expertly balance sweet with savory, in a way a hopeful wish for the months to come.

Melissa Clark and Joan Nathan have come up with two very different yet appropriate ways  to bring in the New Year. Their recipes were featured in yesterday's New York Times Food section and are perfect savers for many years to come. Ms. Clark dedicates her A Good Appetite Column to the new craze of sheet pan cooking. She combines chicken with roasted plums and onions, an interesting way of combining sweet and savory. Keep in mind to get softer plums , ones that will release a lot of juice for moisture. You can use peaches , nectarines or pluots, again so long as they can produce enough juice.Ms. Clark recommends also using a slight squeeze of lemon for some acidity but not too much.Add a drizzle of honey because plum skins can be tannic or sour. The bird does have to be marinated a few hours before cooking. Flavorings include toasted fennel seeds along with allspice , fresh thyme springs and hot pepper flakes, the last used for zing. As for the onion, used a sliced red one. Everything is placed on a sheet and popped into a 425 degree F oven for about 30 to 45 minutes. You can garnish with flaky sea salt and more herbs.

Joan Nathan gives the more traditional tsimmes, a stew made of beef, carrots and sweet potatoes. The dish is originally German then Yiddish coming from the words zum essen meaning a big fuss. The original recipe included parsnips and turnips. It has since been adapted by Yiddish cooking and Americanized with the addition of sweet potatoes, brown sugar and cinnamon. Ms. Nathan has the sweet potatoes and even carrots for sweetness along with chopped prunes.Using the last means no extra brown sugar or honey in the recipe. For the meat she recommends using bone in flanken or flanken style ribs. You could also use  three pounds of English cut short ribs. She also suggests subbing in  the white Japanese yams for the American ones. For seasoning there's bay leaf and freshly ground black pepper. The flanken needs to be cooked the day before , in a Dutch oven with the bay leaf.It's cooked in a 350 degree F oven with eight cups of water for an hour, then removed from the heat. Let it cool overnight in the fridge. The next day, remove the congealed fat with a slotted spoon , and add the veggies and prunes, Bake covered for another hour and then remove the lid. Keep in oven until the potatoes are cooked, the meat is tender and the water is reduced. Season and serve with fresh, chopped parsley.

Making sweet dishes for the new year means a year full of sweetness. Hopefully this will be true.It's a time to start fresh leaving the sadness and bitterness of the previous year behind.

The Way We Shop Now

 The pandemic has certainly changed the way we live.It's definitely affected how we shop and how we eat.We relearned how to bake and yearned for a night out with friends. Will this be the new normal after we return to normal? It could be.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this phenomena in today's New York Times Food section. A lot of the data is eye opening but predictable.There were seven ways food shopping and our eating habits have  changed. We did fewer trips but had more detailed lists. Before Covid 19 , a mere 19 percent of Americans only shopped for food more than three times a week, That number dropped to ten percent by June.Many stocked up, buying double the amount of what they would normally buy. Home chefs also became better planners, knowing what to make for a whole month and shopping for those four weeks.Online food subscriptions went up.Online food sales went from 1.2 billion to 7.2 billion from March to June. Farmers jumped on this bandwagon too, selling to customers and building a good solid client base via the internet. Curbside pickup also increased. Once people realized the ease of this and selecting groceries through apps , they knew they could never go back to visiting stores themselves. Stores were also redrawn. There are now one way aisles and some Walmart have a more open check out areas.

Our eating habits changed as well. Oranges became the snack of the moment, thanks to them keeping so long. In May the fruit has a 73 per cent jump in sales. However there aren't many fruit or other food choices now. Options are shrinking. People are buying staples not frill snacks and treats and stores are noticing. There's also more generic buying  with more home chefs opting for store brands which are usually tastier and cheaper, Buying dried beans have also been popular since, they're versatile and full of protein. Another interesting fact is that freezer food is also popular. Sales initially jumped by a whopping 94 percent in March.Frozen fruit and veggies were an attractive alternative to fresh produce and many home chefs were buying them regularly. Yet some home chefs also want fresh local produce. This also includes eggs and milk from local dairies along with fresh beef. Grocers are also teaming up with chefs to sell meal kits that feature ingredients from local farms. It's part of a growing awareness of climate change and the impact of transporting foodstuffs on the environment.

Our eating and shopping habits will be changing as this pandemic continues. will they ever go back to normal once we go back to normal? Maybe. but maybe not. There may be new trends emerging as we come out of this.

Ease Into Fall Cooking

The temps may not be as hot as they once were. The days are starting to get shorter. Autumn is coming and it's time to ease into cooler weather cooking. What does that mean? Adding different ingredients and thinking about more complex cooking.

One thing to do is take advantage of the harvests out now. Tomatoes plants are still yielding an amazing amount.It's a great time to make sauce and freeze it. You can also use herbs from the garden, such as oregano and rosemary as well. Tomatoes can also be turned into salsas and chili too and these can be frozen for later.If you want to be more adventurous try making ketchup. Many are put off by the idea of making  a condiment in their kitchens but it's pretty easy. It can be done in a slow cooker and you could easily have a bowl of ketchup for dinner that same day. Also take advantage of other harvests such as eggplants and onions. Again late summer and early fall is the perfect time for ratatouille, the mix of those veggies plus tomatoes. It has a fresh summery taste yet warming on nippy nights when the temps drop. Have it with warmed, sliced French bread and olive oil. Eggplant is also good sliced , breaded and air fried . You could slice it into sticks for a different and fun lunch or dinner.

Cooler days mean more elaborate yet still fun meals. Think tacos with different fillings. You can still have barbecued beef but shred it and use it as the main filling. The same with barbecued chicken. You can also grill salmon or tilapia for a different variation.A vegetarian option would be mashed kidney beans topped with  shredded cabbage instead of lettuce or even broken cauliflower or broccoli florets. This is nice way of using up the first of the fall harvests.Hamburgers can still be made but why not turn them into Salisbury steaks with gravy? They can be served on toast or with a side of homemade mashed potatoes.Ground beef or even vegan beef crumbles can also be turned into the Szechuan classic Ants Climbing A Tree. This is an exciting combo of cellophane noodles cooked with beef and soy sauce, zinged up with scallions. Kids will love this variation of hamburger and a fresh take on takeout food. It's also a time to start those sheet pan dinners. You can follow recipes or make up some combo of meat and veggies or just veggies for dinner. Try chicken with potatoes and sliced Brussels sprouts or  salmon with bok choy and green beans.

Ease into fall cooking with fun dishes that are warming and delicious. You can use the last of the summer harvest for ingredient as well as the first of the autumn ones. It's time for some serious cooking!

Honor Our Food Workers ALL Year Long

This is definitely a different Labor Day. There aren't the big parties of last year.  No last hours of summer, enjoyed on the boardwalk, eating fries and frozen custard. No festivals featuring favorite treats like zeppolis and pizza. What is also different is the hardship many of our food related workers have gone through since March. We need to honor them not just for one day but all year round now.

Restaurants are the worst hit of the food industry. They're still trying to make a comeback with outdoor dining. Yet it's not enough. Try to order out from them if you're not comfortable with eating among others. Remember to leave more tip than what you'd usually leave in the tip jar. Write good reviews on Facebook and Yelp. It's a small gesture but it helps in guiding future diners to the eatery. Another way to help is getting gift certificates and/or gift cards from these places too.  Make it a habit of trying one new restaurant a month too. It not only expands your palate but also brings in more dollars to whatever place you choose.

As for those essential grocery workers, sadly we can't give them  tips but we can write to the company and sing their praises. They too, work hard , stocking shelves, getting up at all hours to disinfect the entire place. Visit as often as you can under the circumstances and also thank them when you can too. It shouldn't just be on Labor Day but all year round. What they do is tough, made even tougher by this on going pandemic. This also goes for the farms that are just gearing up for the fall season. They too have been hit hard and are trying to maintain customers and produce. Visit them, for some apple cider doughnuts and pumpkins.

Labor Day should not just be celebrated on this one day. We need to celebrate and honor our food workers all year round. They deserve it with all the hard work they've done year round.

Plantains An Easy To Make Treat

Plantains are the perfect side or snack. Yet many home chefs are scared off by them because they feel the fruit is too exotic. That can't be further from the truth.They're an easy make, especially when using an air fryer. You can have a tasty treat in minutes.

Plantains are basically a tougher cousin of the banana. They aren't as sweet and must be cooked. They can't be eaten raw. You can slice them, which is always good or mash them for mofongo, a garlic infused side dish.

Unlike bananas, which are bought when they're green or yellow, plantains should be bought when they're almost completely black or over ripe. The skins or peels are thicker than bananas' and must be cut or torn off. 

It's then slicing them into medium thick coins or slices . They're a bit slimier than their cousins so be prepared for an icky feeling.

For air frying, use a good cooking spray. I used Stop & Shop's brand.

I then sprayed the slices along with the air fryer's basket. The  recipe I used called for 350' degrees F. but after five minutes, they were not done. I upped the temp to 400 and cooked them for another seven minutes.. This is the result.

I added some sea salt  afterwards. You could also toss the plantain slices in a mix of olive oil and sea salt  first and then air fry.

They were a great side with the vegan chicken patty. The flavor was sweet and salty, the last thanks to the sea salt. The texture was a bit tough on the outside and mushy on the inside, but still tasty.I'm definitely making these again. and trying the oil and salt method  for a crisper slice.

Plantains are simple dish to make, Air fry a batch  to accompany dinner or for a different but flavorful snack. They're a quick, easy make that everyone will like.

A Salute To Julia Reed

Southern cooks really are the backbone of American cooking. Their recipes reflect the history and ingredients that make up American cooking. Julia Reed was one such chef. She created some amazing and often fun recipes that are perfect for any US table, Southern or not.

Regular contributor , Kim Severson, a Southern based writer paid homage to this great chef in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Ms Reed died a week ago at the age of fifty-nine of cancer. She still would have had many years ahead of her, creating interesting dishes and celebrating her heritage. She interestingly started out in political writing, with a famous article about George and Laura Bush along with pieces on Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush and former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards,a famed gambler and womanizer. Politics turned to food as she wrote articles about cuisine for Vogue,  Elle Decor and Garden and Gum magazines. It was a Southern inspired cocktail party for her Vogue colleagues that pushed her to write food articles for the New York Times. She served ham biscuits and beef tenderloins on yeast rolls, a novelty for food snob Manhattanites. Now her recipes are back in the paper. There is summer squash casserole along with hot cheese olives. Two very Southern classics , milk punch and pralines are also included.Ms. Reed was also a world class traveler and fell in love with rosemary scented steak at Nino's in Rome.  She adapted another great chef's Paula Wolfert's recipe for it.

These are fun recipes to herald in a new season.The squash casserole has a Southern  cuisine staple in it, Ritz crackers.Ms. Reed famously included Uncle Ben's Rice and Pepperidge Farm Very Thin white bread in her cookbook Julia Reed's Cookbook,  out in 2016. There is also toasted white bread in this recipe too. The star is yellow summer squash which is the main ingredient.It's enriched by eggs, whole cream and sharp Cheddar cheese and given bite with jalapenos and cayenne pepper. Serve it with Roman steak which she got from Paula Wolfert's book Mediterranean Cooking.  This is an easy make with marinating the meat in an olive oil, mashed garlic and crushed rosemary marinade and then grilling it for  a few minutes.  You could also serve her hot cheese olives which are green olives baked in a cheesy , cayenne laced dough. Of course any of these would go well with Ms. Reed's milk punch. This is a rich drink of vanilla ice cream or heavy cream mixed with a simple syrup and a heady mix of four cups of brandy and two cups of bourbon. Nutmeg is sprinkled on for some color. End with pralines. This candy is a lush mix of  dark brown and white sugars and cooked with evaporated milk. Butter and pecan pieces are added for more flavor. It's dropped as rounds onto parchment paper. These would even make nice thank you favors too. because they have to be individually wrapped once cooled.

Julia Reed was an amazing writer who brought Southern cooking to light. Thanks to her  we can taste classic American cooking.  Her recipes like her reputation, will live on.

Still A Day At The Fair

Thanks to the pandemic all the state fairs are on hold this year. Gone are the contests and the rides.Worst of all gone are the fun foods everyone loves and are the backbone of the fairs. Yet some food truck entrepreneurs are making the best of the situation.

Well known food writer Marissa Conrad wrote about the plight of fair food vendors in yesterday's New York Times Food section. State fairs are known for their different takes on classic foods. This is where fried butter was born and deep fried turkey legs were created. Now the fairs throughout the country are completely closed and it's hard for them to make any kind of income. However some are finding creative ways to keep the food trucks going.There's even an app , created by a fair food enthusiast along with a Facebook group, Fair Food Finder has a whopping 179,000 members plus a Google map of 139 Minnesota vendors Some fans found their fix at the Anoka County Fairgrounds where three vendors parked. They were in traditional state-fair trailers and sold not just fries but also ice cream, cheese curds  and freshly fried mini doughnuts. The fair can come to you too. Stephanie Shimp once made her fair treats in the famed Blue Barn, a fixture at the Minnesota State Fair. She took out a loan and bought a decommissioned grocery truck , Now she travels throughout the state, selling her best loved recipes.There's chicken in a waffle cone and Nashville chicken on a stick.

The state fair can come to your block too. Again Ms. Shimp was hired to feed Corey Mathisen's block party in early August. There was social distancing and mask wearing but everyone did have a good time. It wasn't just about eating. He invited a group of kids to raise money at the event. One group, Kamryn and Friends collected more than $70,000 for food relief drives and Minneapolis area businesses. Some of there were Black owned and destroyed during the unrest after the George Floyd incident). Brenda Smith Parish tried another route. Since she couldn't sell her food at the Des Moines State fair she sent out a social media blast and hoped for the best. It worked. Between 500 and 600 cars show up each week for her gyros, corn dogs and lemonade. Her parents also are vendors and this has helped them too with their stands, All American Grill and Turkey Time. There's even an acoustical guitar player that plays for visitors. For those who don't have this luck, there is State Fair To Go.It's based in Minnetonka, Minnesota and sells boxes full of all sorts of state fair  treats for $59.95. There's Elliot's Up North Corn Dogs, Rosie's French Fries and Sweet Martha's cookies to enjoy.

There may not be any state fairs this year. However you can still enjoy the treats at home or in your driveway. At least it's a taste of the fair , much needed during these  stressful times.

Inclusion Dining And Shopping

Owning a restaurant right now is tough.It's even more difficult if you're a minority, whether by race or religious beliefs and trying to hold on to your dream. It's a little better when you have a product to sell, but still hard. What can we do? Support.

It's amazing and disgusting that diners  still want to eat in fancy restaurants in upscale neighborhoods. Sometimes the food isn't even that great.It's just the in spot to be seen or there's a new way that they present a classic dish. The best foods and probably the most exciting come from those in the fringe neighborhoods. I've discovered this with Paterson, New Jersey. There are literally dozens of eateries owned by minorities. They may not be in the fanciest of neighborhoods or attract local A listers but they do offer a variety of good food. These are more family owned places offering recipes that sometimes go back generations. These are worth visiting, especially with the indoor dining restrictions being lifted, here in New Jersey. Check out the big cities in your area and start looking at Yelp and Google Restaurant guides for these restaurants in your area. If there's no outdoor seating, there's sure to be pick up. Call them for lunch or dinner and then make sure to leave a review with pictures on Yelp or the restaurant's website.

Minority food businesses have also suffered during this time.In some ways they have it easier than restaurants and cafes because a store can buy in bulk from them. Yet, it can be difficult trying to get your name out there. There is also the problem of not having enough funds and banks are often reluctant to help African-American entrepreneurs. Again if we can support them and buy  their products, that's a very small step in solidarity.  African-Americans own a huge swath of food and alcohol businesses. They bring with them tradition and innovation. There's Essie Bartel's spice company, inspired by her Ghanian mother's kitchen spices. These are artesenal with influences mostly from Africa and the Caribbean but also from around the world. Olive oil enthusiasts may appreciate Skyler and her Calabrian husband Giuseppe's blends of different olives from their company EXAU. One company that's on the radar these day is Trade Street Jam Company from Brooklyn. The flavors are smoked yellow peach and plum and rose made by creator Ashley Rouse. African Americans are also getting into the wine business. Look for Love Cork Screw which features vegan vintages. It was created by Chrishon Lampley and the company has all sorts of whites and reds.

The best way towards solidarity is supporting each other.We can be inclusive by visiting restaurants and buying from minority businesses. It's a great way of expanding our mindsets and palates.

New Traditional Pastas

New traditions are forming every day, especially in food.One of the most striking is in pasta. Gone are the days when spaghetti or penne were made with Durham wheat. Now there are all sorts of flours going into traditional dishes.

One of the most famous and popular is  Banta. I bought their spaghetti  made from chickpeas.

The company has several different different types, from this and angel hair  to lasagna strips to elbow macaroni. There's even kid pastas from wagon wheels to alphabet. It takes about the same amount of time as regular pasta and tastes almost the same too. There is a slight chickpea aftertaste.

The texture too is the same  and didn't clump the way wheat based spaghetti does. The only disconcerting aspect is that the water foams up while boiling. This can be easily skimmed off. More traditional companies such Ronzoni and Barilla are also jumping on the band wagon.They're using vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, spinach and tomatoes instead of beans. There's also their Super greens composed of spinach , zucchini, broccoli, parsley and kale. Barilla is also offering chickpea pasta too as well as red lentil. Red lentil spaghetti is a fun and healthy way to enjoy a traditional pasta.

Traditional wheat pasta is making way for a new type. It's much more healthier and even tastier. What's great is that you can make it as just as classic and delicious as the original ones.